Recently I have seen Ferri in Woolf Works, which has moments seared in my memory. Aside from that her turn in M&A was splendid. True tears for Woolf.
Olga Smirnova in Swan Lake.
Semyon Chudin in the same.
Osipova as Lise in Fille, final act and in "ribbon carousel"
Osmolkina as Odette - stunning characterisation, small details...beautiful beyond words.
Sara Mearns as Odette.
I think were I to see Muntagirov as Lensky again, I'd be moved.
Nunez in Onegin. Harrowing.
I recall enjoying Polunin on the Bolshoi Giselle. I really felt Albrecht's love for Giselle.
Brandon Lawrence and Delia Mathews in any classical ballet. Their Odette/Siegfried destroyed me 😭
All these dancers have produced tears.
And as above a moment which works well: Two pigeons. I recall loving Choe in the role. What an ending. Pigeons might not be dancers but they produce emotion inside me! 😄

Geoff, this is true: the secondary school pupils in front of me had a mini lecture with him saying to each something like "we're here to see this, for free, so let's be Respectful. Respectful!... for it. OK?"
And mostly, they were. I still can't quite believe someone managed to get four stars over for the evening! Someone of the Russian audience probably has deep pockets! Regardless, I thought it was a great initiative. I imagine the ROH schools matinees are similar.

Was anyone else there last night?
4 principals from Bolshoi joined students from London Russian Ballet School for a show at the Palladium.
Bill Boyd posted a link to the program (below)
I only found out about it from a friend! I had a wonderful time. It was hard to believe I was seeing these wonderful dancers up close.
As a note, I thought that the piece "Angel" was truly splendid, and would love to see it again. I was mesmerised, and often don't like things in that modern style. As it ended someone exclaimed "BRILLIANT!" and truly, I felt it was.
Lantratov and Alexandrova certainly turned the heat up in Carmen, let's just put it that way! At times it felt rather indecent! Chudin was as always beautiful, and Krysanova polished off fouettés and all with ease. For the final pas the place was a boisterous hall of clapping in time, loud bravos, cheering. I was sat behind schoolchildren, who I imagine hadn't ever seen any ballet before. I think many of them loved it.
And I just want to mention of course the students onstage. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a young man who had attended their school and he and I briefly praised Chudin, and talked Bolshoi and Mariinsky. There was a considerable depth of talent onstage, and as the young man said, how inspiring to dance with these stars!

In fact it was the image of DM as Aurora which prompted me to ask this question, TwoPigeons! 😊 I thought the same: if she's in the publicity shots, she must be dancing it. I really don't know what to do. Southampton is my favoured venue, due to good ticket prices and an Ibis hotel in town! I think waiting for Birmingham casting or two weeks before won't work...what a bother!

Hi everyone,
When might we know casting for the delightful BRB Sleeping Beauty? I would love to see divine Delia Mathews and Brandon Lawrence dance it, but I imagine we won't know casting until a month or so before?
It's just that I'd like to buy train tickets, actual tickets, book hotel etc whilst all are affordable!
Otherwise I will have to gamble by booking a Friday, and two Saturday shows, hoping D&B will be dancing in one of those 😓

I can only echo the praise of all above. I found Matvienko got a less involved as the night went on. Very odd to see. Shklyarov was wonderful of course. A few slightly wobbly Shades at the rear on arabesques, but no big deal.
I just wanted to say "well done" to one of the dancing children whose costume got momentarily tangled on some scenery in Act II...she was only stuck to it for a few seconds, but I bet it felt like an eternity. She freed herself and carried on!

Lyrical is the perfect description, Anna. And Buddy, I feel the same, she has a lot of dramatic ability. I'm very glad I got to see her, on advice from a friend (and here I believe!) Her Odette was especially fine, a real kind of "cantabile", with narrative clear and moving. Just a few moments took my breath away. I already said on Twitter how I loved some details she placed in there - shaking dewdrops from her head on landing (a touch which some dancers don't delineate) and how she reached out to Siegfried for protection and close embrace. The final Act felt like a true ballet of love over power/Rothbart. Despite any reservations I have about the happy ending, I think it came off very well. (The two ladies in front of me evidently felt the same, judging by their running commentary on events )
I hope Osmolkina has more time with Mariinsky to perform these leading roles.
Buddy, the same friend who recommended Osmolkina, has seen Chebykina in this run, and thinks she will also go far too.

Wonderfully strange moment tonight,fully corroborating what many here have deduced over the years:
The music started at the very start of Act II at Mariinsky Swan Lake tonight. Two ladies were talking loudly over the music. My friend says "Shhhhh" to them. One talker shoots back "It hasn't even started yet!". My friend emphatically says "IT HAS!".
Truly, it does indeed appear that some people believe that unless there's dancing going on and if the curtain is down, you're ok to chat away!